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RFL President raises huge worry for rugby league

It is an important period for rugby league with IMG’s proposals, TV deals expiring and on the back of a World Cup.

Now RFL President, MP and House Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle, a Warrington Wolves fan, has spoken about his fears for the sport especially in terms of sponsors.

“I do worry about the future but it’s about getting real investment. Look at O2, they only do rugby union, why aren’t they in rugby league? It’s the same with other sponsors,” he said on BBC Five Live.

“Sponsorship should be queueing up to get behind the people and the people’s sport is a family sport and if I was a sponsor I’d be proud to be a sponsor of rugby league.

“Football sucks all the money up in the world, that’s good for football, but recognise that family games matter too and our sport is the best sport. I’d say to sponsors ‘start investing in the family, start looking at the future, you can help grow a great sport here’.

“What we’ve got to do is educate sponsors. Sponsors may look down on us, well if you’re in Australia then you don’t look down on rugby league. You look up to rugby league, what we’ve got to do is recognise the same sponsors as in Australia.

“Toyota are out in Australia, we’ve got to get them in the UK because it’s the same game and what we need to do is educate the sponsors. Stop being old-school and looking down on rugby league, it’s a passionate game, don’t look down on it.

“Be part of a game that’s going forward and that’s what we’ve got to do, we’ve got to sell it better, get people to see it and once they’ve watched it they’ll become committed.”

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